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Football Players Cash In On International Transfer Market

FIFA Transfer Matching System figures revealed that player wages "have eaten up most of the money" involved in int'l transfer deals during the past two years, according to Bill Wilson of the BBC. FIFA's TMS estimates that since '13, "some 57% of funds have gone into stars' pockets." Actual transfer fees "have accounted for just 41% of the cash, and agent commissions the remaining 2%." Football clubs in Europe "account for four-fifths of the total money spent on wages in those global deals." The new figures refer to int'l transfers from one country to another, and do not cover "domestic" transfers between two clubs in the same nation. In cash terms it means that over the past two years, from int'l deals, $16.5B has gone on player salaries, $12B in transfer fees, and $700M to player agents. FIFA TMS GM Mark Goddard said, "Most of the transfers discussed in the media involve large transfer fees, but in reality, only 13 percent of all worldwide transfers involve the payment of a fee. Salaries, though, are part of every single contract." Increasingly lucrative TV deals "have given top-flight English clubs the financial muscle to bring in a plethora of global stars from overseas." Other findings from FIFA's analysis of int'l deals involving the Big Five leagues are that:

  • The average transfer fee for an int'l transfer increased from $5.5M to $5.7M (up 4% on '14)
  • Total spending on agent commissions has grown this summer, to $158M, up 8% on last summer
  • The average age of players engaged by the Big Five was 23 years and 9 months -- one month younger than last year
Following "on after the heavy financial outlay from clubs in Europe on player wages, teams in the Asian confederation were the next highest spenders on salaries" (BBC, 9/8).

Source: FIFA

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